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Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency Management of environmental contaminants Description of the particularities of the environmental contaminants, mainly heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants (dioxins and PCBs). Exchange of views and revision of the current management measures in place both in the EU and Codex, including food and feed, for environmental contaminants in all the fields of competence involved. 2

Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency Content Environmental contaminants (natural) - PAH * - Heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Hg) - Arsenic Persistent organic pollutants (chemical synthesis) - Dioxins - DL-PCBs - NDL-PCBs - Other POPs (PFOS & PFOA, BFRs) 3

Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency Heavy Metals 4

Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency Heavy metals Natural components of the Earth’s crust that can be increased by human activity (industry, agriculture) Foodstuffs are the main source of heavy metals exposure for the general population Neither chemically nor biologically biodegradable. They accumulate in the body No biological function (humans, animals). Toxic to humans at certain levels 5

Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency Cadmium Example of how to manage environmental contaminants 6

Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency Cadmium Natural component of the Earth’s crust that can be increased by human activities (mining, paints, batteries) IARC has classified cadmium as carcinogenic to humans (category 1) Cadmium can accumulate inside the body and may cause renal dysfunction and bone demineralisation Foodstuffs are the main source of cadmium exposure for the non-smoking general population 7

Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency EFSA‘s Scientific Opinion on cadmium in foodstuffs (2009) The mean exposure for adults across Europe is close to, or slightly exceeding, the TWI High consumers (vegetarians, children, smokers and people living in highly contaminated areas) may exceed the TWI by about 2-fold EFSA concluded that the current exposure to Cd at the population level should be reduced Source: 8

Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency EXPOSURE Cd level in foodstuffs Food consumption Cocoa Crustaceans Offal Fungi Oilseeds Algae Molluscs Cereals Potatoes Bread and rolls Bakery products Chocolate products Leafy vegetables Level Consumption Level Consumption HIGHER IMPACT ON THE EXPOSURE 9

Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency X ML (ALARA) P 95 Distribution of a certain contaminant in a foodstuff 5% 10

Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency EFSA 2009 Revision of MLs 1881/2006 (lower) RISK ASSESSMENT RISK MANAGEMENT 11

Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) 12

Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency Vietnam, ,4-D y 2,4,5-T Herbicides 2,3,7,8-TCDD Carcinogen by- product 13

Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency What are they? (C-H) n Accumulate Toxic 14

Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency General characteristics Travel long distances Magnification along the food chain Low affinity for polar compounds Resistant to degradation: Photolytic Biological Chemical Stability High liposolubility Volatility Bio- accumulation 15

Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency Dioxins Not commercially produced Unknown utility (GOOD!) Undesired by-products of: - Incineration of municipal waste - Industry emissions (chemical, mining, metal and paper industries) - Synthesis of certain chemicals (pesticides or other chloride substances) - Emissions from energy generation/means of transportation 16

Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency Dioxins (cont’d) They remain as impurities or may be released to the air 210 compounds 17 toxic (complex mixtures) Toxicity: Exposure of humans mainly by food of animal origin (fish, meat and milk products) Acute effects: Burns Chloracne Chronic effects: Heart disease Immunological disruption Feminize babies Cancer 17

Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency PCBs Produced in the past as: - Liquid insulating material (electric equipment, transformer oils, dielectric fluids) - Solvents for pesticides - Flame-retardant materials 209 congeners Complex mixtures Very high stability Low inflamability Low conductivity 18

Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency PCBs (cont’d) Forbidden since the 80’ Still released to the environment (improper disposal or leaks) Co-occur in nature together with dioxins (same toxicity and route of exposure) 19

Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency Non-intentional by-products of a series of chemical and combustion processes Dioxins Chemical products produced intentionally (during 30’-70’) PCBs Difference between dioxins and PCBs? 20

Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency PCBs Dioxin-like PCBs 12 toxic congeners ML in Regulation 1881/2006 (TEQs) ppb-ppt Same distribution/toxicity as dioxins Non-dioxin-like PCBs 6 toxic congeners ML in Regulation 1881/2006 (no TEQs) ppm Neurotoxic Markers of the presence of DL-PCBs 21

Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency MANAGEMENT MEASURES FOR ENVIROMENTAL CONTAMINANTS IN FOOD AND FEED 22

Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency PLANTS, ANIMALS, WATER ENVIRONMENT FOOD/FEED Human activities  Industrial/transport emissions  Disposal of waste  Production, use or elimination of certain substances  New chemicals 23

Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency Exchange of views Your are the government of your country. Based on the information given, your experiences and on measures which may have already been taken in your countries, we will discuss risk management measures to reduce human exposure to environmental contaminants via diet in the different fields involved. Discussion in groups (5 minutes) and we will explore the measures together. 24

Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency Maximum limits Pb, Cd, Hg, As Dioxins and PCBs REGULATION 1881/2006 FOOD Undesirable substances DIRECTIVE 2002/32 FEED 25

Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency... but setting up MLs Costly Low efficacy Not possible to reduce/eliminate its content in the food Rejection and destruction of whole lots Need for Preventive Measures! 26

Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency Monitoring for POPs Recommendation 2006/794/EC on background levels of dioxins, dioxin-like PCBs and non-dioxin- like PCBs in foodstuffs Recommendation 2006/794/EC Recommendation 2013/711/EU on the reduction of the presence of dioxins, furans and PCBs in feed and food (action levels) Recommendation 2013/711/EU Recommendation 2014/118/EU on BFRs in food Recommendation 2014/118/EU Recommendation 2010/161/EU on PFOS in food Recommendation 2010/161/EU 27

Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency Action levels vs MLs Lower than ML Requires “action”-investigation No withdrawal is needed FBO self-control/official control ML Action Level 1,75 pg/g fat 3 pg/g fat Egg 28

Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency Codes of practice for heavy metals Recommendation 2014/193 on the reduction of the presence of cadmium in foodstuffs Recommendation 2014/193 CAC/RCP on the prevention and reduction of lead in foods CAC/RCP

Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency Codes of practice for POPs CAC/RCP on prevention and reduction of dioxins and dioxin-like PCB contamination in food and feed CAC/RCP

Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency Codes of practice for all chemicals CAC/RCP concerning source directed measures to reduce contamination of foods with chemicals CAC/RCP

Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency Other measures for POPs Regulation 850/2004 on persistent organic pollutants Regulation 850/2004 STOCKHOLM CONVENTION 32

Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency CONCLUSIONS: The most effective risk management measure to reduce human exposure (general population) to environmental contaminants is the establishment of MLs However, this measure is very costly since the non- compliant foodstuff has to be destroyed Preventive measures are more useful, less costly though they give results in the long term 33

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